The Broadway musical wicked will run at Dayton’s Schuster Performing Arts Center June 01 to June 24, 2012. Tickets for the popular Broadway musical, Wicked, go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday morning at Ticket Center Stage in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, Second and Main streets, in downtown Dayton.

Wicked Schuster Performing Arts Center Schedule:
Tuesdays to Fridays – 8:00 PM
Saturdays – 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sundays – 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM

The show, based on a novel that tells the story of the two girls who grow up to be the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, will be in town from June 01 to June 24.

More than 53,000 people from throughout the region attended the premiere performances of “Wicked” when it premiered in Dayton in February/March 2010. According to Ken Neufeld, president and CEO of the Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation, that three-week run generated an estimated economic impact of $5,285,770.

There are currently seven productions of “Wicked” worldwide. The show features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. The musical is directed by two-time Tony winner Joe Mantello and has won 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony awards.

Wicked Musical Tour will be performing in Schuster Performing Arts Center for four weeks from June 01 to June 24, 2012. Wicked Dayton OH Tickets Online, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more.

During October 2011, actress and singer Mamie Parris joined Wicked national touring company taking the role of Elphaba, the green-skinned and highly sympathetic witch first brought to Tony-winning life by Idina Menzel and later played by, among others, the Beaverton-bred Shoshana Bean.

It doesn’t have any effect, she said, on how she approaches her part in “Wicked,” which comes to Portland on Tuesday to begin a lengthy run at Keller Auditorium through April 08, 2012.

Joining Parris will be even newer cast members Alli Mauzey as Galinda and Andy Kelso as Fiyero, who’ve been with the tour just a few weeks. What stays consistent, though, is the dazzling spectacle and blockbuster appeal of this 21st-century twist on “The Wizard of Oz,” by way of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Parris spoke to The Oregonian about stepping into the well-known role:

What has it been like taking over such a famous role?
When you take over any role there’s some pressure there. But to be honest, I’ve been so supported since I came in here. Everyone in the company has been really lovely and great to work with.

Do you have any little ways you’ve used to make Elphaba your own?
There’s not a grocery list of things I do, like saying this or that line in a particular way every time. To me, that’s not how acting works. It’s just bringing what I have to the character and making a real connection with the story.

What’s the biggest challenge?
This is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had in my life. Yes, the singing is a challenge, but if you’re a healthy vocalist, it’s something you can do. What’s difficult is how physically and mentally exhausting a role like this can be. Elphaba hardly ever leaves the stage. And in those few times she’s not in a scene, there’s something I have to be doing backstage, like a costume change. It takes everything out of you.

Among the stronger threads in Gregory Maguire’s novel, and still present in the musical, is the question of who really is good or evil and how they come to be viewed one way or the other. What’s Elphaba’s good-to-wicked ratio?
I don’t know if that’s something that can be put in a mathematical way. Maybe it’s different for someone at different points in their life. It really is a long journey to self-discovery, and we make so many changes to what we think and feel and believe all through the process. So for Elphaba, too, it’s about the journey. And I think that’s why the show continues to connect with so many people so strongly.

The show of course has been a big phenomenon with young audiences. What kind of responses do you get from those fans when you interact with them?
I meet a lot of fans when I leave through the stage door. It’s amazing how much people walk away affected by it emotionally. Here it is this story set in a big, fantasy world, but people see it as something really personal.

The thing that’s surprised me most is that it’s not just young fans. I meet older people, couples on dates, guys who bought tickets because of their wives and didn’t think they’d enjoy it themselves. It’s always thrilling to me to meet people who are completely new to the show and see how much they get into it.

What haven’t I asked you about that I should have?
The No. 1 thing people ask me about is the makeup. It takes about 25 minutes. I have a makeup artist who helps me put it on before the shows. It’s water-based, actual makeup, not a body paint, so that’s good.

But even so, I can be away from the show for four days and still find a little green behind my ears. I forever carry a bit of Elphaba with me wherever I go.

Read the complete interview {Via OregonLive.com}

Wicked will be performing at Keller Auditorium through April 08, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Portland OR Tickets Orders of $350 or more! Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout!

Wicked all set for for Paramount Theater‘s 2012-2013 Season – The Paramount Theater has announced the touring productions set for its 2012-2013 season, according to The Seattle Times. The Seattle WA season’s first offering will be Stephen Schwartz’s hit musical about the witches of Oz Wicked starting from October 10, 2012 and continue thropugh November 17, 2012.

Wicked is one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time. Wicked musical has grossed nearly $2.5 billion and has been seen by 30 million people worldwide. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Wicked will be playing Paramount Theater through Nov 17, 2012 and Tickets are now on sale online. Buy Wicked Seattle WA Tickets today. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Paramount Theater Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!

Broadway in Tucson yet to announce its 2012-13 season, but the presenter could not wait for the announcement and just posted on his next season slip on Facebook.

In a posting, Tucson Broadway announced the following:

***WICKED Returns to Tucson Next Year!!!***

Broadway’s biggest blockbuster musical, Wicked is set to return to Tucson March 20-April 7, 2013 at the Tucson Music Hall. We just couldn’t hold this information in any longer. We’ll announce the rest of the 2012/2013 season in the coming weeks. Season ticket holders will receive more information on how to renew their tickets at the end of March/early April.

That’s a quick turnaround for the production, which played nearly soldout performances at Centennial Hall for three weeks in January 2011. Read more about the 2012-13 arts seasons coming Sunday.

Wicked Musical Tour will be performing in Tucson Music Hall from March 20, 2013 through April 7, 2013. Once the tickets on sale online, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Wicked Tucson AZ Tickets Orders over $350! .

Wicked Musical Tour currently stops at Norfolk for the duration March 7-25 in Chrysler Hall. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, “Wicked” tells the story of the rivalry, and eventual friendship, between Glinda and Elphaba, the green-skinned Witch of the West, before Dorothy comes on the scene. Wicked broke box office records in Norfolk when it first played during 2009 tour.

Haas, who grew up in Yorktown, makes a triumphal return to her home turf as Glinda, the Good Witch, in this wild ride of a musical featuring flying monkeys, witches on broomsticks and the sparkling city of Oz. And what an entrance she makes as she floats down from the top of the stage in a large bubble.

Instead of playing the stereotypical good witch that one remembers from the “Wizard of Oz” film, Haas has a chance to bring out the different facets of her role in this complex character adapted from the Gregory Maguire novel. She shows talent for delivering her lines with great comic effect, and her operatic training comes in handy for this demanding vocal role.

Joining her on equally fine footing is Anne Brummel as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, who belts out the show’s signature tune, “Defying Gravity,” with strength and conviction.

It’s a strong cast overall backed up by stunning special effects and a strong orchestra.

Read the complete review {Via DailyPress.com}

Wicked Musical Tour will be performing in Norfolk Virginia through March 25, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Chrysler Hall Tickets Orders over $350! Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Tiffany Haas makes her dramatic entrance as Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked” onstage March 7-25 in Chrysler Hall. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, “Wicked” tells the story of the rivalry, and eventual friendship, between Glinda and Elphaba, the green-skinned Witch of the West, before Dorothy comes on the scene. This prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” tale opened on Broadway in 2003 and is still running there. It broke box office records when it first played Norfolk in 2009.

The blockbuster musical Wicked opens Wednesday in the Norfolk performing hall for a three-week run. As Glinda the Good Witch, Haas makes a dramatic entrance in a bubble high above the stage where, she says, “I can look down and see everybody in the audience.”

The New York production also is where Haas got her start. Her story mirrors the classic one of the young hopeful who comes to town and lands a big Broadway role.

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in 2005, Haas moved to New York to pursue a musical theater career. She appeared in a showcase there sponsored by the college that was attended by New York agents and others in the theater world. There she met an agent who eventually connected her with the casting director of “Wicked.”

For her first role in “Wicked,” Haas worked as a swing performer, a job that required her to cover all of the female roles in the show.

“Swinging was a phenomenal experience. Every night I played a different part,” she says. “It was a great way to be involved in the show and to learn how it worked.”

During her two years as a swing performer, Haas always felt that the role of Glinda was right for her, but the timing wasn’t right. She left the “Wicked” cast in 2007 to perform in the national tour of”The Drowsy Chaperone,”but let the producers of “Wicked” know of her continued interest in playing the role. That opportunity came when she was first hired as Glinda’s understudy before stepping into the role last September.

Part of what attracted Haas to the role of Glinda is that she saw parallels in her own life.

“Glinda has this constant journey of perseverance and proving herself,” says Haas, who is now 30. “She’s trying to figure out exactly what her purpose is. It’s actually what I’ve gone through since graduating from college.”

In reality, Haas started on that journey much earlier. Beginning at age 3, she took classes and danced and performed in the company directed by her mother, Linda Haas, owner of the Academy of Dance & Gymnastics, which has studios in Hampton and Newport News. Linda Haas says Tiffany became infatuated with musical theater early on.

“From the time she was a little girl, if you came over to our house for dinner, you were bound to see a show,” says her mother. “She worked so hard in the company which is the place we train them to be professionals.”

Haas’ vocal talents also became evident early on. Linda Haas remembers taking her daughter to a voice teacher when she was 9 years old. After hearing the young girl, the teacher sent her to Virginia Opera to audition for the children’s chorus. Haas sang opera for her talent competition after she won the Miss Ohio title and competed in the Miss America pageant.

In addition to her 15 years as a member of the Academy of Dance company, Haas attended the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk during her high school years. During those years she won the Virginia State Bland Music Vocal competition.

Read the complete news {Via DailyPress.com}

Wicked will be performing at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall through March 25, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Norfolk VA Tickets Orders over $350! Use Code AFF$10.

Broadway hit musical Wicked was a big success as 30,000 people and $2.37 million came through the Plaza Theater last month, said El Paso city leaders. Wicked musical during its Feb. 1-12 run at the Plaza Theatre shattered box office records.

The musical reached a record gross of $2.37 million and is now El Paso’s most successful touring Broadway show. Approximately 5,100 tickets were purchased by visitors outside the El Paso area, bringing an estimated economic impact of $1.8 million.

“The success of Wicked in El Paso was unprecedented; El Pasoans were thrilled,” said Bryan Crowe Assistant General Manager of the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Centers. “When discussions were initiated over two years ago about the opportunity to bring this national blockbuster to El Paso, we dared to believe this community would respond and make WICKED the tremendous success it was. We hope this success will help pave the road for similar long term engagements in the future,” he said

“We are so pleased that audiences were spellbound by the show’s two-week engagement and we hope ‘Wicked’s’ popularity meant big business for area merchants,” said Steven Traxler, president of Chicago-based Jam Theatricals.

“‘Wicked’ kept us very busy, with a 66 percent increase in sales during the two-week period,” Angela Geske of the Garden Restaurant said. “We were full with dinner reservations throughout the time that ‘Wicked’ was at the Plaza Theatre.”

“Wicked” was part of the 2011-2012 El Paso Electric Broadway in El Paso series. Musical lovers may expect more shows, including “100 Years of Broadway,” “Straight No Chaser,” “Mamma Mia!” and “The Rat Pack is Back.”

Wicked is currently running at Tempe, AZ and Norfolk, VA. Buy Wicked Chrysler Hall Tickets Online, Use Code AFF$10 to Get $10 OFF on Orders over $350!

Wicked Coming to Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa, California in the year 2013. The greatest musical, Wicked is included in the Segerstrom Center for the Arts eclectic lineup for its 2012-13 season, which was announced Thursday.

Wicked Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstrom Hall Schedule: February 19 to March 17, 2013

Wicked is one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time. Wicked musical has grossed nearly $2.5 billion and has been seen by 30 million people worldwide. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…).

Wicked will be performing in The Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstrom Hall from February 19 through March 17, 2013. Buy Wicked Costa Mesa CA Tickets Online, Use Code AFF$10 to Get $10 OFF on Orders over $350!

Wicked comes to Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Place Des Arts in Montreal Quebec Canada, August 01, 2012.

Wicked Canada 2012 Tour kick starts with Montreal Quebec Canada (August 01 to August 26, 2012) and moves to Kitchener Ontario Canada (August 29 to September 09, 2012).

Wicked is the story of two witches, Elphaba, the unfortunate girl with the green skin, and the blonde and perfect Glinda. One – born with emerald-green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. They grow up together and become rivals for the attention of the handsome Fiyero. Elphaba sides with the animals and is called the Wicked Witch of the West while Glinda the Good becomes known as the Good Witch of the North. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Wicked is currently playing on tour at the BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham AL through March 4 and at Gammage Auditorium through March 11, 2012. From here Wicked will move to Norfolk, VA. The performances at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier Place Des Arts start on August 01, 2012 and continue through August 26, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Montreal Quebec Canada Tickets Orders over $350! Use Code AFF$10.

Wicked Broadway grossed $1,872,679 with #1 in the list and had a 100% attendance rate, about 0.2% more than the previous week. The 26 shows on the boards grossed $20,315,215, around 1.2% more that of the previous week’s totals.

Below are the Top 10 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending February 26, 2012.

1. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,872,679
2. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,732,972
3. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,643,155
4. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,468,595
5. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $1,018,596
6. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $985,906
7. Mary Poppins – (NEW AMSTERDAM) $957,197
8. War Horse – (VIVIAN BEAUMONT) $955,542
9. Porgy And Bess – (RICHARD RODGERS) $881,225
10. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $825,341

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}